Credits: Perkele, pubblico dominio
Where are we?
We are at the Casa del fascio in Predappio
It was inaugurated in 1937 in Mussolini’s hometown and became a place of pilgrimage during the Fascist period.
The Casa del fascio e dell’ospitalità, or House of Fascism and Hospitality, was designed by Arnaldo Fuzzi and opened on 21st April 1937, the anniversary of the founding of Rome. It was celebrated with a grand ball attended by Rachele Mussolini, Achille Starace and Galeazzo Ciano. The building became a landmark of Predappio Nuova, a town built in the 1920s by the regime to celebrate Mussolini’s birthplace.
The symbolic value of Predappio immediately became a burden on national collective memory. From 1957 onwards, the transfer of Mussolini’s tomb to the town cemetery of San Cassiano triggered a continuous series of pilgrimages by those who were nostalgic for the regime, while businesses selling Fascist items and souvenirs flourished. In 1983, the centenary of Mussolini’s birth, the town recorded more than 30,000 visitors. In the years that followed, work began on restoring the house where Mussolini was born and creating an exhibition on his life.
The former Casa del fascio, which remained unused until now, has recently been at the centre of a controversial debate following a proposal from the municipal administration to turn it into a national museum of Fascism. The public and the historians had opposing views on a solution that, to many, appeared unable to promote suitable education on public remembrance as well as a civil reflection on Italian history.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Facility or museum: no
Geographic location: Predappio, Emilia-Romagna
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